Equality Rocks
The Millennium March on Washington was an event to raise awareness and visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and issues of LGBT rights in the US, it was held April 28 through April 30, 2000 in Washington, DC. The Millennium Pride Festival was held prior to the March, it was a huge event that saw thousands flock to the US capital. A march from the Washington Monument to the front lawn of the Capitol took place on April 30, where the crowd was addressed by several members of Congress and, via video, by President Bill Clinton. Estimates of attendance ranged from 200,000 to 1 million people. One of the weekend's more successful events was the sellout Equality Rocks concert produced by LGBT rights organization Human Rights Campaign. The concert was held in Washington's RFK Stadium and music included stars such as Melissa Etheridge, George Michael, Pet Shop Boys, Garth Brooks, k.d. lang, Michael Feinstein, Chaka Khan, Rufus Wainwright and Cuban legend Albita, plus presenters Ellen DeGeneres, Anne Heche, Betty DeGeneres, Laura Dern, Julie Cypher, Nathan Lane, Kristen Johnston, and Kathy Najimy. The event was criticized for a lack of inclusiveness and political focus as well as concerns over financial accountability. Allegations of theft from a vendor and severe financial mismanagement arose after the event. The final accounting showed the event ended with $330,000 in unpaid debt. In terms of the expense per participant, it was the least cost-efficient of any national LGBT march to date. The documentary A Union in Wait was filmed at the march. Broadway and film star Nathan Lane started the show with some comic barbs, the best of which were aimed at radio talk show host Laura Schlessinger ("She's Jerry Falwell's prom date!"). Actress Ellen DeGeneres earned one of the night's most prolonged ovations just by walking onstage and spreading her arms as if to say "Here I am." She introduced Chaka Khan, who played hits like "I'm Every Woman," and "I Feel for You" before turning the floor over to Kristen Johnston, star of the hit sitcom "3rd Rock From the Sun." Johnston introduced k.d. lang, who greeted the crowd with "Hiya, homos," then played favorites like "Constant Craving." Michael Feinstein followed, then came Melissa Etheridge in the first of her three appearances during the night. She plowed through standouts like "Come to My Window" and later rolled around the stage floor with her guitar--bonding with the instrument in a Sapphic, graphic and highly suggestive love minuet. Every performer focused either on the music or on the larger issues confronting homosexuals. Until George Michael showed up; he chose to open his performance with an angsty little diatribe about his career trouble. Michael hasn't scored a U.S. hit for years and hasn't performed in the States for a very long time, a fact he seemed to believe is somehow connected to his arrest for a "lewd act" in a Los Angeles restroom. Brooks traded vocals with Michael on the latter's hit "Freedom," then delivered a strong if abbreviated acoustic set, which included "The Dance." Etheridge then returned to sing "Celebrate" and Sly and the Family Stone's "Dance to the Music," the songs culminating in a conga line with many of the night's musicians.